Travel to Thailand

Thailand sits in the middle of mainland Southeast Asia, between Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Most first trips combine Bangkok with the north and a beach in the south. Since 15 September 2026, citizens of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and the EU get 30 days without a visa.

Our Thailand travel tips are sorted by region and by topic: Bangkok, Southern Thailand and the Islands, Things to Do and See, Outdoor and Nature, Culture, Food and Drinks, Where to Stay, Weddings and General Travel Tips.

Visa and Entry Requirements for Thailand

Since 15 September 2026, citizens of 60 countries and territories can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, for tourism only. The list includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, South Africa, all EU countries and Switzerland. Before that date the visa-free stay was 60 days for 93 nationalities, so ignore older advice that still quotes it. Chinese citizens travel under a separate 30-day agreement. If you arrive overland, a visa-free entry by land is normally limited to two a calendar year.

If your nationality needs a visa, or you want to stay longer than 30 days, apply online on thaievisa.go.th, the official e-Visa site of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before you travel. Visa on arrival is now open to only a handful of nationalities. Thai immigration may extend a stay for eligible visitors, and overstaying brings a fine of 500 baht a day, detention or a ban on entering again.

Your passport needs at least six months of validity on arrival and a blank page. Officers can ask for a return or onward ticket and proof of funds, about 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family. Every foreign visitor, by air, land or sea, has to fill in the free online Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before arrival. It replaced the paper TM6 form on 1 May 2025, and you can submit it up to three days before you arrive on the official TDAC site of the Immigration Bureau. Avoid lookalike sites that charge for it. A 300-baht entry fee for foreign air passengers has been announced several times but was not being charged when we last checked in October 2026.

Entry rules change, so check them before you book on the Thai Immigration Bureau site and in your own government’s advice, such as GOV.UK or travel.state.gov. Planning to live in the country rather than visit? Read how to settle as an expat in Thailand.

Important Cultural Information

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, and the royal family is held in deep respect. Thai law makes it a crime to defame or insult the King, the Queen, the heir to the throne or the regent (the lèse-majesté law, Section 112 of the Criminal Code). Courts hand down long prison sentences, foreigners included, and the law covers online posts and shared articles too. The King’s portrait is on every banknote and coin, so don’t damage money or step on a note or coin that has dropped. When the national anthem plays in public places at 8:00 and 18:00, people stop and stand still.

Thai people are polite and reserved. The traditional greeting is the wai: press your palms together in front of your chest and bow your head slightly. Smiling goes a long way, and raising your voice or losing your temper in public goes down badly. The head is seen as the highest part of the body and the feet as the lowest, so don’t touch anyone’s head and don’t point your feet at people or at Buddha images.

Most Thais are Buddhist, and the temples (wat) are open to visitors. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, take your shoes off before entering a temple hall, and don’t climb on statues or pose with your back to a Buddha image for photos. Women should not touch monks or hand things to them directly. The Grand Palace in Bangkok has a strict dress code and turns away visitors in shorts or sleeveless tops. Many homes and some shops also ask you to take your shoes off at the door, so sandals that slip on and off are practical.

Two things to try with a local perspective are a Thai massage, with tips for first-timers, and the water fights and temple rituals of the Songkran festival at Thai New Year.

Money in Thailand

The currency is the Thai baht (THB), divided into 100 satang. Coins come in 25 and 50 satang and 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht, and notes in 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht. Small notes are easier to use in markets, taxis and street stalls, where a 1,000-baht note is often hard to change.

Cards are accepted in hotels, malls, chain restaurants and most tour companies in the cities and resorts. Markets, street food stalls, songthaew drivers and small guesthouses usually want cash, especially outside Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the islands. Thais pay with QR codes for almost everything, but the local apps need a Thai bank account, so plan on cash and cards.

Tipping isn’t expected, but rounding up a taxi fare or leaving 20 to 50 baht at a small restaurant is appreciated. Many upscale restaurants and hotels add a 10 percent service charge and 7 percent VAT to the bill, shown as “++” after the price. In markets, bargaining is expected, while malls and shops with price tags have fixed prices.

Banks, ATMs and Cards

The big Thai banks have ATMs everywhere, often outside 7-Eleven stores: Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank (KBank), Krungthai Bank, Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya), Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) and TTB among them. Most take foreign Visa and Mastercard cards and have an English menu. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards a fixed fee of about 220 to 250 baht per withdrawal, whatever the amount, so take out larger sums less often. Your own bank may add its own fee on top. When the screen or a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose baht instead.

Visa and Mastercard are taken almost everywhere cards are accepted, American Express less often. To change cash, the exchange booths in the city, including those at the main SkyTrain stations, usually give a better rate than the counters in the airport arrival hall, and they want clean, undamaged notes. US dollars, euros and British pounds are the easiest currencies to change, and you’ll need your passport.

Health, Insurance and Emergencies

Emergency numbers in Thailand:

• 191 – police, and the general emergency number
• 1669 – ambulance and medical emergencies
• 199 – fire
• 1155 – Tourist Police, with English-speaking staff

Bangkok and the big resort areas have large private hospitals with international departments, such as Bangkok Hospital, Bumrungrad International and Samitivej. Treatment there is expensive, and hospitals ask for a guarantee of payment before they treat you, so take travel insurance that covers treatment and medical evacuation. If you’re thinking about a planned procedure, read one personal account of cosmetic surgery in Thailand and talk to your own doctor first.

Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes across the country, so use repellent and cover up at dusk and dawn, and ask a travel clinic which vaccines you need well before you go. Smoke haze can bring dangerous air pollution to Chiang Mai, the north and Bangkok, mostly from about February to April. Drink bottled or filtered water.

If you’re looking for travel insurance, we are an affiliate of SafetyWing, a travel medical insurance provider.

Wi-Fi, SIM Cards and eSIMs in Thailand

Thailand’s international dialing code is +66. Hotels, guesthouses, cafes and malls almost always have free Wi-Fi, and mobile data is fast and cheap in the cities and resorts. The main networks are AIS and True, which merged with dtac in 2023 and still sells under both brands.

The easiest option is a tourist SIM card from one of the network counters in the arrival halls at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiang Mai. You need your passport to register it, and the staff set it up for you. Tourist packages run for a set number of days with a data allowance, and you can top up at any 7-Eleven. AIS and True also sell tourist eSIMs, and many international eSIM apps cover Thailand, which lets you arrive online without swapping cards. Check that your phone is unlocked if you plan to use a Thai SIM.

Remember to always use a VPN when traveling and using public Wi-Fi spots.

Arrival in Thailand

Most long-haul flights land at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), east of Bangkok. The Airport Rail Link takes you from the terminal to the city center in about half an hour. Don Mueang Airport (DMK), north of the center, is the hub for low-cost airlines such as Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air, so check which Bangkok airport your ticket uses.

You can also fly straight to the beaches and the north. Phuket International Airport (HKT) serves Phuket and the Andaman coast, and Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) the north. Krabi (KBV), Koh Samui (USM), Hat Yai (HDY), Chiang Rai (CEI) and U-Tapao (UTP) near Pattaya have international flights too, mostly from other Asian cities.

Search for flights on Expedia.

Overland, the Friendship Bridge connects Nong Khai with Vientiane in Laos, and other bridges cross the Mekong further north and east. Buses and trains run south to Malaysia: the train goes to Padang Besar on the border, where you change to Malaysian trains for Kuala Lumpur and on to Singapore. In the far south, boats link Koh Lipe with the Malaysian island of Langkawi in the dry season. The land crossings to Cambodia have been suspended since the border clashes of 2025, so check their status before you plan a trip overland.

Areas of Thailand

Thailand stretches about 1,650 km from the mountains of the Golden Triangle to the Malaysian border, with more than 3,000 km of coastline on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Most travelers pick two or three areas and connect them by domestic flight or night train.

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and the biggest city by far, spread along the Chao Phraya River. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho with its reclining Buddha and Wat Arun across the river are close to each other in the old town, and river boats connect them. Beyond the temples, Bangkok is about food markets, rooftop bars, canals and malls. Plan your days with our guide to 3 days in Bangkok, which adds Ayutthaya and the floating markets nearby, and see how the city compares with the beaches in our look at Bangkok and Phuket. Our list of unusual things to do in Bangkok takes you beyond the usual sights.

Central Thailand

Central Thailand covers the low-lying plains around Bangkok, the rice bowl of the country, and its historical regions. The ruins of Ayutthaya, the capital of Siam until 1767, are a UNESCO World Heritage site and an easy day trip from Bangkok by train or road. West of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi has the bridge over the River Kwai, the war cemeteries of the Thailand-Burma Railway and the waterfalls of Erawan National Park. Further north, the old capital of Sukhothai, another UNESCO site, sits between the central plains and the north.

Eastern Thailand

Eastern Thailand runs along the Gulf coast southeast of Bangkok. Pattaya, about two hours by road from the capital, is the best-known beach town, with big hotels and a busy nightlife. Further east, the islands of Koh Samet and Koh Chang have quieter beaches, and the region produces much of Thailand’s fruit, with durian and mangosteen orchards around Chanthaburi.

Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand covers the plains around Chiang Mai, the mountains along the borders and the Golden Triangle in the far north, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet on the Mekong. Chiang Mai, the largest city of the north, has more than 300 temples in and around its old walled town and is cooler and greener than Bangkok. It makes a good base for cooking classes, hill walks and the elephant sanctuaries outside the city. Read about the rescue work at Elephant Nature Park, where visitors watch the elephants rather than ride them.

North of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai is known for the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) and the Blue Temple, and for its tea and coffee hills. The mountain loop through Pai and Mae Hong Son is popular with motorbike riders, but the road has hundreds of curves, so only ride it if you’re experienced.

Northeast Thailand (Isan)

Isan, the large northeastern plateau between the Mekong and Cambodia, sees the fewest foreign visitors. It has Khmer temple ruins such as Phimai and Phanom Rung, the national parks around Khao Yai and the Mekong towns of Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom. Isan cooking, with som tam (green papaya salad), larb and grilled chicken with sticky rice, is popular all over the country. Check the current advice before you travel near the Cambodian border, as the FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of it.

The Gulf Islands

In the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is the largest and most developed of the islands, with an airport and long beaches such as Chaweng and Lamai. Start with the things to do in Koh Samui, including a boat trip to Ang Thong National Marine Park. Koh Phangan next door is known for its Full Moon Party and for quieter bays in the north. Koh Tao, further out, is one of the most popular places in Asia to learn to dive, and our guide to Koh Tao diving sites lists where to go. Further south on the Gulf coast, Hua Hin is a seaside resort popular with Thai families and a short trip from Bangkok.

The Andaman Coast

On the west coast, the Andaman Sea has limestone cliffs, islands and coral reefs. Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, has the most hotels and flights, from the busy beaches of Patong to the quieter west coast. In Krabi province, the cliffs of Railay are reachable only by boat, and our guide to rock climbing in Thailand explains why climbers come here from all over the world. Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and the Krabi islands are covered in our guide to snorkeling in Thailand. Further south, Koh Lipe and the Trang islands are smaller and calmer. The Andaman coast is at its best from November to April, while the southwest monsoon brings rough seas and closes some boat routes and marine parks from about May to October.

Transportation in Thailand

Domestic flights are the fastest way to cover long distances, and the budget airlines make them cheap if you book well in advance. Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet connect Bangkok with Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Samui and the other regional airports. Bangkok Airways built and runs the airport on Koh Samui and operates most flights there, so fares to Samui are usually higher than elsewhere. Thai Smile, Orient Thai and Jet Asia no longer fly. A free shuttle bus runs between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang for passengers with a connecting ticket.

The State Railway of Thailand has a network of more than 4,000 km. The Northern Line runs to Chiang Mai, the Northeastern Line to Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani, the Eastern Line to the Cambodian border and the Southern Line to the Malaysian border. Long-distance trains now leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bang Sue rather than the old Hua Lamphong station. There are three classes, from air-conditioned first-class sleeper cabins to basic third-class seats. Book ahead, especially for sleeper berths on the night trains to Chiang Mai and the south.

Buses go almost everywhere. The Transport Company, known as BKS or Bor Kor Sor, is the government bus company, with buses from local and express to first class and VIP. Private minivans are faster on short routes but are often driven fast. Ferries and speedboats connect the islands with the mainland, and timetables change with the season.

In Bangkok, the BTS SkyTrain and the MRT subway are the quickest way around the traffic, and river boats run along the Chao Phraya. Elsewhere you’ll use tuk-tuks, taxis and songthaews, pickup trucks with two benches in the back. Agree on the price before you get into a tuk-tuk, or book a car or motorbike taxi on the Grab or Bolt apps. Traffic drives on the left. To drive or ride a motorbike you need an International Driving Permit together with your home license, and riders must wear a helmet.

Where to Stay in Thailand

Thailand has every kind of accommodation, from hostels and simple guesthouses to boutique hotels, beach resorts and some of Asia’s grand riverside hotels. In Bangkok, the riverside and the old town around Rattanakosin put you near the temples, while Sukhumvit and Silom have better access to the SkyTrain, restaurants and nightlife. In Chiang Mai, most visitors stay in or near the old town, and on the islands you choose between a busy main beach and a quieter bay.

Hostels have become common in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the islands, and you can choose from a wide range of cool design hostels, especially in Bangkok. Family-run guesthouses are still the cheapest private rooms, and mid-range hotels with a pool are good value compared with Europe or the US. At the top end are luxury hotels such as Sofitel So Bangkok, now branded SO/ Bangkok, the Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula on the river.

Prices are lowest in the rainy season, from about May to October, and highest from December to February and around Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Songkran. Popular beach hotels can stay expensive all year, so book early for the high season.

What to Eat and Drink in Thailand

For many travelers, the food alone is reason enough to visit Thailand. Thai cooking balances sour, sweet, salty and spicy flavors, with lime, lemongrass, chilies, galangal, Thai basil and fish sauce, and every region has its own dishes. Rice is the staple, and sticky rice takes its place in the north and Isan. Street food is a big part of daily life. Pick busy stalls where the food is cooked fresh in front of you. Dishes to try:

• Pad Thai – stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind sauce, egg, peanuts and shrimp or chicken.
• Tom yum goong – hot and sour soup with shrimp, lemongrass and lime leaves.
• Som tam – green papaya salad pounded with chilies and lime, from Isan.
• Gaeng keow wan – green curry with coconut milk and Thai basil.
• Massaman curry – a mild curry with potatoes and peanuts from the south.
• Khao soi – curry noodle soup with crispy noodles on top, a Chiang Mai classic.
• Pad kra pao – stir-fried minced meat with holy basil and a fried egg on rice.
• Khao man gai – poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken stock.
• Mango sticky rice – sweet sticky rice with coconut cream and ripe mango.

Fresh fruit shakes, Thai iced tea and coconuts are sold on every corner. Singha, Chang and Leo are the big local beers. Did you know that Red Bull began as a Thai drink? Read the story of the original Red Bull in Thailand, Krating Daeng. Tap water isn’t safe to drink, but restaurants use purified water and ice.

Things to Do and See in Thailand

• Bangkok’s temples – the Grand Palace with Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho and Wat Arun.
• Ayutthaya and Sukhothai – the ruined royal capitals of old Siam.
• Chiang Mai’s old town – temples, night markets and cooking classes.
• Chiang Rai – the White Temple and the Golden Triangle on the Mekong.
• Phang Nga Bay – limestone islands rising from the sea near Phuket and Krabi.
• Island hopping – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf, Phi Phi and Lanta in the Andaman Sea.
• Muay Thai – a night of Thai boxing at Rajadamnern or Lumpinee stadium in Bangkok.
• Thai massage – a traditional massage, also taught at Wat Pho’s massage school.

Thailand has three seasons. The cool, dry season from November to February is the most comfortable for sightseeing and the busiest. March to May is hot, and the rainy season runs from about May or June to October, with short heavy showers rather than all-day rain in most places. The Gulf islands around Koh Samui get most of their rain from about October to December.

Bangkok

A trip to Thailand is incomplete without some time in Bangkok, especially at the gilded temples and palaces of the old town. The ancient capital of Ayutthaya is an easy day trip, and the floating markets and the Maeklong railway market are popular half-day trips. Read our guide to 3 days in Bangkok for a plan.

Check out our offbeat guide to Bangkok.

Chiang Mai

Located in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is the largest city in this region. It is quieter and greener than Bangkok and sits on a plain within easy reach of the mountains, with Doi Suthep temple on the hill above the city. There are more than 300 temples in and around Chiang Mai, and the Sunday Walking Street market fills the old town every week.

Beach Resorts of Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui

The beach towns of Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya are the most popular in the country and offer every kind of hotel, restaurant and leisure activity. Each feels different: Pattaya is a big city on the sea, Phuket mixes busy resort beaches with quieter bays, and Koh Samui is more relaxed, so read up before you choose. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, windsurfing and fishing are some of the water activities on offer. At any beach, a red flag means you must not swim, as rip currents drown swimmers every year, especially in the monsoon.

Krabi

The limestone cliffs of Railay Beach, the islands and reefs of Mu Koh Lanta National Park and Phang Nga Bay, waterfalls, caves, bird-watching and long beaches are the main pulls of Krabi province. Boats leave Ao Nang for Railay, the Hong islands and Phi Phi.

Outdoor and Nature in Thailand

Thailand has more than 150 national parks on land and at sea, and they charge foreign visitors a higher entry fee than Thais. Some of the best known are Khao Yai, northeast of Bangkok, with waterfalls and monsoon forest where you can watch gibbons, hornbills, macaques and deer and, with luck, wild elephants; the rainforest and lake of Khao Sok in the south; and the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay. Doi Inthanon near Chiang Mai is the highest mountain in Thailand, at 2,565 m.

Thailand is a popular and affordable place to learn to dive. Read about scuba diving in Thailand from Phuket, the dive sites around Koh Tao and where to go for snorkeling in Thailand. Watch turtles, sharks and other marine life from a distance and don’t touch the coral. Several marine parks, among them the Similan Islands and Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh, close for part of each year to protect the reefs, so check the dates with the Department of National Parks before you book a trip.

Climbers head to the cliffs of Railay and Tonsai near Krabi, and hikers to the hills of the north, where the trails through the forest pass villages and waterfalls. For elephants, choose a sanctuary where you watch them in a natural setting and no riding is offered, like Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. Avoid places that offer rides, shows or photos with tigers or other wild animals.

Weddings in Thailand

Thailand is a popular place for destination weddings, from beach ceremonies in Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui to mountain settings around Chiang Mai. Many couples hold a symbolic ceremony in Thailand, sometimes with a Buddhist blessing by monks, and do the legal paperwork at home. To marry legally in Thailand, foreign couples register at a Thai district office (amphoe), which needs documents from your embassy and translations, so start early and check the requirements with your embassy.

Our wedding guides cover why couples choose Thailand for a dream wedding, the reasons to wed in Thailand, the colors and settings that make a wedding in Thailand so visual, and the questions to ask your wedding planner before you book. The best months for a beach wedding on the Andaman coast are from November to April.

Festivals and Holidays in Thailand

Songkran. Thai New Year is celebrated from 13 to 15 April, at the hottest time of year. People visit temples, pour water over Buddha images and over the hands of their elders, and the streets of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the resort towns turn into huge water fights. Read why the Songkran festival draws travelers from around the world. Many Thais travel home, so book transport and hotels early.

Loy Krathong. On the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, usually in November, people float small baskets of banana leaves, flowers and candles (krathong) on rivers, lakes and the sea to give thanks to the water spirits. Sukhothai, Bangkok’s riverside and Chiang Mai hold the biggest celebrations.

Yi Peng. In Chiang Mai and the north, Loy Krathong coincides with Yi Peng, the Lanna festival of lights, when houses and temples are decorated with lanterns and paper lanterns are released into the sky. Releases are limited to set times and places because of the airport and the fire risk, and the large mass releases are ticketed events, so check the official program before you book.

Other holidays. Chinese New Year is celebrated in Bangkok’s Chinatown, and the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket in September or October has street processions. On the main Buddhist holidays, such as Makha Bucha and Visakha Bucha, alcohol sales stop for the day in most shops, bars and restaurants.

Shopping in Thailand

One of the joys of visiting Thailand is its street markets, particularly the night markets. The biggest is Bangkok’s weekend market, better known as Chatuchak Market or JJ Market to locals. Covering 35 acres with thousands of stalls, Chatuchak Market sells everything from t-shirts, sandals and diffuser oils to soaps, crockery and antiques. It’s open on Saturdays and Sundays, so plan your Bangkok days around it. Chiang Mai has its Night Bazaar and the Saturday and Sunday walking street markets.

Look for Thai silk, celadon ceramics, cotton clothes, wood carvings, hill tribe textiles from the north, spices and curry pastes. Expect to bargain at the markets, while the malls of Bangkok, such as Siam Paragon, CentralWorld and ICONSIAM, have fixed prices and sell international brands. Tourists can claim back the VAT on purchases from shops with a “VAT Refund for Tourists” sign, as long as you spend at least 2,000 baht in one shop on one day, keep the form and show the goods at customs at the airport before you check in.

Don’t buy Buddha images or antiques to take home without an export permit from the Fine Arts Department, as taking them out of Thailand without one is illegal. Fake designer goods are sold openly in some markets, but importing them can get you fined at home.

Thailand’s Nightlife

Nightlife in Thailand ranges from rooftop bars, live music and clubs to go-go bars and traditional dancing. In Bangkok, Khao San Road is the backpacker street, Sukhumvit and Thonglor have clubs and cocktail bars, and the rooftop bars of Silom and the riverside hotels look out over the city. Pattaya’s Walking Street and Bangla Road in Patong on Phuket are the best-known bar streets. The Full Moon Party on Haad Rin beach on Koh Phangan draws thousands of people every month. Here’s all about the best party beaches in Thailand.

For a different evening, watch a Muay Thai fight at a Bangkok stadium, see a show of traditional Thai dance with dinner or take a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River.

Shops and supermarkets may sell alcohol from 11:00 to midnight. Since 2026, the old afternoon ban between 14:00 and 17:00 no longer applies, and licensed bars, entertainment venues, hotels and international airport terminals can sell outside these hours. Sales also stop on Buddhist holidays and on election days. Buy your own drinks, keep them in sight and stick to licensed bars, as methanol in fake or homemade spirits has killed travelers.

Cannabis is legal only for medical use with a prescription from a Thai doctor, and recreational use is illegal, even though you’ll still see cannabis shops. Taking cannabis out of the country is a crime. Vapes and e-cigarettes are banned completely: owning or using one, even a tourist’s own, can bring a fine of thousands of baht, confiscation and detention. Other drug offenses carry long prison sentences.

Safety Tips for Thailand

Be wary of a number of scams that you might be confronted with in Thailand. A common one starts with a tuk-tuk driver or a friendly stranger telling you that a temple or the Grand Palace is closed today, then taking you on a cheap tour that ends at a jewelry shop selling worthless stones as an investment, or at a tailor. Jet ski and motorbike rental shops sometimes claim damage that was already there, so photograph the vehicle first and never leave your passport as a deposit.

Road safety is the biggest risk for visitors. Thailand has one of the highest road death rates in the world, mostly involving motorbikes. Riding without a valid license and an International Driving Permit can void your travel insurance, and many rental bikes in tourist areas aren’t registered. Wear a helmet, and use taxis or ride-hailing apps at night.

Police can ask to see your passport, and the law requires you to carry it, though a copy of the photo page is usually accepted at first. Drug laws are strict and penalties harsh. Avoid mosquito bites, as dengue fever is common, and follow the flags on the beach. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla in the far south, and to within 20 km of the border with Cambodia. Read the current US advice and the FCDO advice before you book, because both change.

Conclusion

With one week, combine Bangkok with Chiang Mai or with one beach area, and fly between them. Our 7-day Thailand itinerary links Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. With two weeks, add Chiang Rai or the islands of the other coast. For the beaches, choose the Andaman coast from November to April and the Gulf islands from about January to September. On a second trip, head for Isan, Kanchanaburi and Sukhothai, or the quieter islands of the far south.

Before you book, check the 30-day visa rule, submit your TDAC and read your government’s travel advice. Plan around Songkran and the high season, when flights and hotels fill up. Our general travel tips for Thailand cover the practical details, from a first itinerary to avoiding scams in Bangkok.